By MELISSA MEEHAN
EMERALD’S cricketers will have to travel as far as Garfield to play their home games because Worrell Reserve no longer has a barrier to stop cricket balls flying onto the road.
The decision to move the cricket club matches was made after the West Gippsland Cricket Association contacted the Cardinia Shire Council to determine if the council’s insurance would cover incidents from stray cricket balls ending up on Gembrook-Belgrave Road.
On advice from its insurers, the council advised the association that these incidents would not be covered.
Cardinia Shire’s sustainable communities manager Jim Davine said risk matters would fall back on the league to complete a match-day safety check list prior to cricket being played on the oval.
Emerald Cricket Club junior co-ordinator Steve Callinan said that teams including the Under-15s and Under-17s could no longer play at Worrell Reserve because of the risk of balls flying onto the road.
“We’re able to let our Under-11s and Under-13s play at Worrell Reserve because there is not much chance of the balls going over the boundary,” Mr Callinan said.
“But the Under-15s and Under-17s are big strong boys.”
He said the decision to stop playing at the oval was made after a Veterans match where more than 20 balls went onto the road.
“We had 20-odd balls landing in the Woolies loading bay,” he said.
“We’re pretty frustrated that the council didn’t plan for this when they cut down the trees.”
Mr Callinan said the juniors, seniors and veterans were all affected by the lack of a barrier between the ground and the road.
“The West Gippsland Cricket Association has arranged for us to play at Mountain Road and in Garfield,” he said.
“But that is a long way to go to play cricket.”
“It’s not a great situation,” Mr Callinan said.
“It was pretty obvious this was going to be a problem.
“They should have organised for netting to be put up on the same week, not weeks later.”
Mr Davine said preliminary works, including a feature survey and undertaking a service locator have been scheduled prior to a new fence being erected at the reserve.
“It is anticipated that the works will start in the second week of December with the Emerald Cricket Club playing their home games at Garfield up until the Christmas break,” Mr Davine said.
“Council are in constant contact with the reserve committee, cricket club, and the league regarding these works. They will be funded by Council.”
